General Discussion Thread

[StellersJayC]

Yawning? I'm... Not really sure. I think other people "catch" them from me more than I "catch" them from other people, though. And I think I yawn most often when I have a stuffy nose... It might be a way to clear it?

[Pessi]

But I guess that I have to correct myself on the etymology of "Eichhörnchen" (and "Hörnchen" = Sciuridae, which is derived from it). I just read that relating it to "Eiche" is actually a "Volksetymologie", an explanation that's actually wrong but too good and convincing to get abolished. The actual root is "aig" (Indogermanic: to move violently) and a (quite meaningless) Old / Medium High German suffix "-orn" added after the fact.

Interesting. I take the etymology is the same for the Swedish "ekorre" as well, even if a same kind of folk etymology seems so plausible, oak being "ek" in Swedish.

In Finnish it's "tammi" and squirrel is "orava", so no chances for such interesting etymological mix ups here. But the etymology for our word "raha", which nowadays means money, has it's own funny connection to squirrels since originally it meant a dried up squirrel skin. The skins used to be the common currency here before coins, and even after people started using bits of metal instead of bunches of skins the name stuck.

[OrigamiOwl]

In Finnish it's "tammi" and squirrel is "orava", so no chances for such interesting etymological mix ups here. But the etymology for our word "raha", which nowadays means money, has it's own funny connection to squirrels since originally it meant a dried up squirrel skin. The skins used to be the common currency here before coins, and even after people started using bits of metal instead of bunches of skins the name stuck.

Oh! That's really interesting!
I guess the hide=currency thing is very similar to how a dollar is also called a buck?
But squirrels are so much cuter!! X'3

[OrigamiOwl]

Yeah, I enjoy it enough in small groups, but 1 on 1 is difficult for me.  The trouble is finding people who share my interests.  Nobody in my State cares about art, or music, or video games.  It's all celebrities and sports, which I don't understand, so I don't have much to say on the things they care about.  The one guy I text frequently is currently missing his phone or something.  Hopefully he didn't get a new one with a different number or anything, cause I have no other real way of contacting him...


Out of curiosity, how often does everyone here yawn, and how easily do you catch yawns from other people?  The contagious factor is the important part.  This is for science.
I'll go into fits of yawning that can last upwards of ten minutes, and just typing this out is contagious enough to me to make me yawn.

Sound like we're in similar boats there Eich.

Yawning for science you say? I catch yawns occasionally, but most of the time I'm like "No brain! Don't yawn! You can sigh tiredly instead!" I do tend to yawn when I'm exercising for some weird reason though... O___O

[JoB]

Oh, forgot to respond to this.  It's not an expression for irritation.  It's entirely literal.  "Ich bin gefult mit piswasser."  Hopefully I spelled that somewhat correctly.
A little context: the skit where I heard that involved a robotic space toilet with a glitchy translator.

Hmmmm I can imagine said toilet saying something like "gefüllt mit Pißwasser", though it actually being entirely full would usually be "voll mit ...". Having a human say so would be less usual, as the water part of actual urine typically doesn't get mentioned.

[JoB]

Apparently when I was five my mom and I were driving over the pass and I suddenly asked, "why can't we turn our head around like an owl?"

(FWIW: 14 neck vertebrae instead of the typical mammalian seven. Yes, only seven in a giraffe, too.)

And I think I yawn most often when I have a stuffy nose... It might be a way to clear it?

Not it, but. Pressure equalization in your middle ear happens through the Eustachian tube, which is lined with mucous membranes as well. When those get inflamed, they swell, the tube closes, and you need to stretch (where possible) to force it open again and let the equalization happen.

[Sparky Dragon]

Lesson of the day: If I leave my phone on silent when my mom is supposed to pick me up and she has to tell somebody else to tell my teacher to tell my to GET UP THE HILL NOW, my mom magically turns into a NASCAR driver. 0.O I'm just really, really glad no police saw us going 80 mph in a 45 mph zone...

[ThisCat]

I have some incidents, but they're mostly related to vacations.

Like "the Italian Catastrophe" composed of

• The waterslide incident
• The car incident
• The dissappearing family incident
• The train-birthday incident

Even this year's trip to Barcelona, the best vacation I've ever had, had "The Firework Incident"

Some people say home is where the heart is, I say home is where your heart is not in danger of suddenly stopping.

[OrigamiOwl]

I have some incidents, but they're mostly related to vacations.

Like "the Italian Catastrophe" composed of

• The waterslide incident
• The car incident
• The dissappearing family incident
• The train-birthday incident

Even this year's trip to Barcelona, the best vacation I've ever had, had "The Firework Incident"

Some people say home is where the heart is, I say home is where your heart is not in danger of suddenly stopping.

Oh my golly gosh what was the Firework Incident??! :O

[Sparky Dragon]

I've got a few incidents of my own...

* The Giant Spider Incident
* The Visiting Cousin (Includes several incidents)
* The Stop Sign Incident
* The Fifteen Children Incident

Aaand as of today, I have a Carousel Incident. 0.o

Please, do tell of the Firework Incident!

[OrigamiOwl]

I've got a few incidents of my own...

* The Giant Spider Incident
* The Visiting Cousin (Includes several incidents)
* The Stop Sign Incident
* The Fifteen Children Incident

Aaand as of today, I have a Carousel Incident. 0.o

Please, do tell of the Firework Incident!

A CAROUSEL?!!!!?!??!!!?1!!? 8D I've never been on one ;__; is it awesome?

[Eich]

My sister's having her babeh!!
I'm gonna be an uncle!!    Had to post because reasons!
*Happy intensifies*

[potatobunny]

We'll have to call you Uncle Eich now! Congrats!

[Sparky Dragon]

Congratulations, Eich and Eich's sister!

A CAROUSEL?!!!!?!??!!!?1!!? 8D I've never been on one ;__; is it awesome?

Yeah, they're actually really fun...at least until you get told off by the carousel-operating guy. Heh.

[Eich]

We'll have to call you Uncle Eich now! Congrats!

I'm travelling back home over the weekend.  'Til then, I must sleep... and wait.